Playing Around with Color

Saturday I met up with my friend Monica, a working mother of two, to play around a bit with a look I saw on Pinterest.

Pinterest Inspiration

I wanted to give her something similar that was fun but not so bold that if she went to run errands later it wouldn't be too overpowering.

This is what we came up with

my version

Here's how it worked:

1) Prepped eyes with a primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion)

2)  Eyelid: Used a cream base (M.A.C Flighty)

3) Layer on the color

- M.A.C plum

- Urban Decay Metropolitan

- M.A.C Trax

4) Crease- Too Faced Socialite / M.A.C- Trax, blend to mix with eyelid 

5) Pumped up the eyelid colors with Red Ginger's mulit shadow palette by mixing a deep blue and bright purple shimmer together

6) Inner corner: M.A.C Tilt topped off with more of the turquoise blue from Red Ginger (used the same colors on the bottom of the eye)

7) Line upper lid with M.AC Pencil in Kohl / go over that with M.A.C Carbon shadow

8) Lined lower lash line with M.A.C eye pencil in Coffee

9) smudged M.A.C Trax,Urban Decay's Metropolitan & M.A.C Plum eye shadow under eye

10) Topped off with two coats of Maybelline's Falsies mascara

Eye brows were filled in with M.A.C Stud eye brow crayon

Highlighted face with Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand in Gold

Cheeks: 

M.A.C Gingerly topped with NARS Orgasm

Lips:

 M.A.C Spice Lip Liner

Too Faced Celebrity Meltdown Lipstick

M.A.C Oh Baby Lipglass

LOTD on LUCKY!!

So I'm a contributor over at LUCKY magazine in their community section and my second post is now published and available to vote and comment on!

You can check it out here:

http://contributors.luckymag.com/post/lotd-easy-does-it

Please go and show me some love so I can move up in the contributor ranks and hopefully become a part of their style collective in time for the next LUCKY FABB conference!

Blue eyed Bride

I just love a good wedding don't you?

I honestly think those are some of my favorite makeup looks to create.

There is something quite magical about knowing you are helping a woman look and feel beautiful on one of the most important days of her life.

My latest bride, Jen, was no exception.

She was such a joy to work with. Smart with a wicked sense of humor and excellent style.

She wanted simple, chic and elegant.

Classic bride but with a hint of drama.

 I created a simple look using varying shades of brown & bronzes and accentuated her eye shape with a dark brown liner and a soft fringe of lashes.

A little about her bridal style:
She scored her dress for $99 (holla!) and then splurged on an amazing statement necklace to set off the whole look.

a closeup

the necklace

the beautiful bride

                                               Congratulations Jen and Steve!!

                                   I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

Thanks for letting me be part of your special day!

J-J-Jaded Eyes

A few weeks ago I asked for makeup models to try out a few new looks and my girl Q was happy to oblige.
I was inspired by an image I found on Pinterest

 I instantly fell in love with the jade green smolder and knew that would be the perfect look for her going away party that evening.

Q loved the jade green color and with her brown eyes the end result was a slight departure from the original but definitely suited her.
The teal color is absolutely on trend right now as well so we are ahead of the game!
What do you think?
Any trends you're dying to try for Fall or want see tested out here?

Products:

Lipglass: M.A.C - Sinnamon

Lipstick: Too Faced -Totally Nude

Lipliner: M.A.C - Spice

Blush: NARS -Orgasm

Eyeshadows:

Base: Urban Decay - Buck & Naked

Inner Corner: Urban Decay - Half Baked

Outer Corner: Urban Decay - Smog

Crease: M.A.C -  Antiqued & Mythology

Eyelid: M.A.C - Meadowland & Urban Decay - Shattered

Eyeliner: M.A.C - Smolder Eye Kohl

Mascara: Christian Dior - Dior Show Blackout

Easy....

Few things in life are "easy" but for some certain talents/skills seem to be a little more natural or inherent than for others.

Some people are excellent cooks.
They can take a recipe and re-create it plus add flare with instantaneous perfection. 

Some are great bakers. Never met a cake/pie/tart they couldn't make.

Some people have a wicked sense of style.

They've never had an 'off' fashion day are expertly skilled at throwing pieces together and still looking stylish.

Others still are amazing crafters - they can quite literally make something out of nothing and it's AWESOME. 

I am not one of those people.

What does come "easy" for me though is makeup application.

In it's truest and purest form - it is basically art to me.

Each face is a blank canvas for me to create a new form of beauty the owner never saw.

It gives me life every time I am able to work on someones face and they look in the mirror after and go "wow. I could never do this on my own".

And I usually just shrug it off like, sure you could.

In my mind everyone has the ability to do anything.

But really some people are just not as good at some things as others are.

And that's totally okay.

Makeup has always come easy.

I re-create looks I see online, and in magazines.

No it doesn't automatically look the exact same as the images I see mainly because every skin tone, texture, eye shape and color are different but the gist is pretty much spot on.

For a long time I doubted my skill.

Really questioned if I was good enough because I don't generally look as 'polished' as the artist in department stores do every.single.day.
But then I realized - that's not who I am.

 I am a wife, mother and a makeup artist who is inspired by each freckle and mole on each face.

I am all about showcasing the beauty that you (the client) never saw before.

I want to makeup your face and have you be excited by what you see and hopefully you will utter the words "wow. I look great" afterwards.

It warms my heart when I give women a new way to look at themselves and in my mind that is what makeup is all about.

It's not about covering up any flaws, its about accentuating what you do have and making the most of that.
So yeah, putting on makeup and making up someones face comes pretty easy to me but it's not without having worked at it for years.

What comes easy for you?

Wedding Backlog - Mysheika & Ed

Remember that time I went out of town and did two weddings in two days with a three and a half month old in tow?
Here are a few images from wedding #2 in Ohio

that magical first kiss

the gorgeous wedding party

the bride & groom

**all images via Art of Exposure Photography

Wasn't she beautiful?

Of course I'm totally biased because she's family but it truly was a magnificent ceremony and reception.

In fact, I'm pretty sure her reception might have rivaled mine in terms of music and partying......

Congratulations Mysheika & Ed!!

Date Night Duo - Cat Eyes and a Slicked Center

I was pretty jazzed when my new InStyle came in the mail the other day.

Even though I rarely have time to leisurely read my magazines these days I make it a point to flip through to get ideas for new looks & trends to try.

I had a hot date with my husband last Saturday night so I  decided to keep the makeup simple yet glamorous.

The Cat Eye Liner, Eyelashes and a slicked center did exactly that.

 

Recently I have started pulling my hair back (it's been way too hot to have it down and in my face)

and  have been enjoying how it looks.

I wanted to try something a bit new (for me) and modern so I pulled it back into a low ponytail but added a side part, laid it flat in the center and then got funky by adding a small bump towards the crown.

For details on how I created the Cat Eye Liner see my post here.

The Hair-do:

 As a makeup artist I'm always willing to go out on a limb and try a new trend or re-create some look I saw online but as a mother I try to not go too overboard with my daily look.
But I was so pleased with the outcome that I know I will be trying both of these looks again!

Even my outfit was out of the box for me. Normally I would have paired something like this with some strappy heels or flashy pumps but I decided to go a little bit rock 'n roll and add these black booties I bought a while back but had yet to wear.

I loved the way it all came together. 

My husband even approved!

What trends are you interested in trying?
Is there anything you want to see me showcase here?